Charles W Wolfe

Properly Resourcing the Shape Pillar of the National Military Strategy Charles W Wolfe

Publisher Marketing: This paper addresses the dichotomy between our current National Military Strategy (NMS) and the Cold War resourcing paradigm supporting it. It proposes creating a new resourcing category, "engagement," to directly support the "shape" pillar of the NMS. Chapter one discusses the origins of "preventive defense" and its importance in our overall defense strategy. Chapter two identifies the problem of our Cold War funding paradigm not fully supporting our National Security Strategy or NMS. It describes the lack of correlation between the NMS, the current planning processes and the major resource categories. It highlights the blur that often occurs between "shape" and "respond" activities. Given a dedicated programmatic for resourcing "shaping" activities presently does not exist, it explains how this often results in these activities unsuccessfully competing against Service training activities within Service funding venues for readiness resources. Chapter three provides recommendations for evolutionary changes to the current planning, programming and budgeting system to heighten the Defense Department's awareness of its investment in the "shape" pillar of the NMS and establish a methodology for resourcing this key NMS endeavor. The paper also proposes to create a stronger correlation between the Services' Program Objective Memoranda and the Commander in Chiefs' Integrated Priority Lists and Theater Engagement Plans.